“We went from Adelaide to Darwin on a luxury train. Here’s our very honest recap.”

Usually when someone asks what we got up to on the weekend, we try to avoid admitting we got up at 10, did a bit of work, and ate takeaway in front of our TVs while scrolling through our phones. 

But this week, when we returned to work we got to say… "Oh this weekend? Yeah, we went on one of the world’s greatest train journeys, what did you get up to?"

Except we don’t care what you got up to.

Because we can guarantee it wasn’t a 2979 kilometre train journey from Adelaide to Darwin, where you watch the sunset from the bar onboard and hop off to visit Katherine Gorge on a boat. 

While we're here, we think we’ll tell you a little more about our weekend on The Ghan, thank you very much.

Here is a recap of one of the most relaxing, luxurious and unique holidays of our lives.

We, along with our mum who is the very best travel companion, arrive at Adelaide Parklands terminal to check in for our three-day train journey to Darwin.

Boarding The Ghan in Adelaide. Image: Supplied.  

At the check-in desk, we hear one young man apologise on behalf of his dad who can’t stop asking questions. “I’m sorry he’s just really excited,” he explains and omg same.

There are snacks and sparkling wine and it’s like a mix between boarding the Titanic, a business class flight and the Hogwarts Express. 

A man welcomes everyone and introduces the crew who are appropriately wearing akubras. There’s an onboard chef who will prepare all our meals, as well as dozens of staff to tend to every need we could possibly have. 

But, if we're honest, we have one concern.

Coffee. You see, we are snobs. We live in Sydney. We are addicted to barista-made coffee and we don’t know if we’ll survive without it. We accost a young staff member and casually ask about the coffee situation on board as though it's not big deal (it's a massive deal) and um, yeah. There’s a bar. With a barista. You can have 14 coffees a day if you like (which we wouldn’t recommend but you do you).

You see, this experiential train journey is all inclusive. Do you understand what we are saying? Drinks. Food. Australia's finest wines. Sunrise stops. Day time activities in Alice Springs and Katherine. Dessert. Transfers to wherever you're staying on the other end. 

Lunch dessert!! Image: Supplied. 

We then board the train and are shown to our private Gold service cabins which are the most popular choice for travellers. There’s a comfortable lounge, a desk, a massive window, a bunch of power outlets, a hair dryer, space to store your bags, and a bathroom with a shower. We settle in before heading to the bar a few carriages down (have to get our steps up) and enjoying a coffee and a snack. Green fields surround us as we pass through the South Australian countryside, and we meet other travellers who are full of fascinating stories. 

Before we know it, it’s time for lunch. As well as being a physical journey from the bottom of Australia to the top, The Ghan is also a culinary journey, with regionally inspired meals along the way. We are seated in the Queen Adelaide restaurant, and select the roasted chicken ballotine service on pumpkin purée with steamed greens and fresh herb salsa. It's... unspeakably good, and we send photos to our partners at home who are probably stuck eating stale toast. 

We finish our dessert and chat for hours, surprised at how quickly we get used to being on a moving train. An announcement reminds us that we are on one of the longest passenger trains on earth, with 36 carriages and spanning more than one kilometre. While Dad is texting us from home asking for all the fun facts, like how many wheels The Ghan has, we're more interested in the wine list.

The wine list. Image: Supplied.  

After some reading in our cabins and a delightful shower (seriously, showering on a moving train was magnificent) we meet in the Outback Explorer Lounge for some sparkling wine at sunset. Already, the landscape is turning red and dusty.

A group of couples beside us are playing cards, while some travellers read or chat with their family over a glass of wine. There are solo travellers, lifelong friends, grandmothers with their granddaughters, and young couples. We study the wine list which is particularly impressive, with all whites, reds, and sparkling wines sourced from Australia, along with spirits, beers, fortified and sweet wines, non-alcoholic wine and beer and every other beverage you could imagine. 

For dinner, the options include roasted lamb rump, grilled coorong mulloway fish fillet or caramelised pumpkin with orecchiette, broccoli and hazelnuts. We choose the later, and it's one of the best meals we've ever had. 

Find a happier person. We dare you. Image: Supplied. 

But this trip isn't all fun and games. There's an option to get up early and watch the sunrise over Marla. While it's meant to be one of the most beautiful sunrises in the country, it is also happening rather early, about 6.30am, so we weigh up the pros and cons of leaving our very warm beds. A couple at the table nearby interrupt. We will be seeing the sunrise, they insist. They even solve the problem for us. We can go back to bed after the sun has come up. They won't be doing that, of course. But for those of us who love a sleep in – well, it seems obvious. 

We return to our cabins, where staff have converted our day rooms into fully decked out beds, complete with a chocolate on the pillow. We are rocked to sleep like babies.

The following morning, the train has stopped in Marla, and we hop off the train literally in our pyjamas. 

Sunrise. Image: Supplied.  

There is tea and coffee and breakfast, as well as campfires, and we watch the sunrise over the desert. To that couple we say – fine. It was a pretty stunning experience. But. That. Doesn't. Mean. We're. Not. Going. Back. To. Bed. 

We climb back into our warm beds and nod off to the view of red dirt, as far as the eye can see. 

A mid morning sleep. Image: Supplied. 

Brunch (or... second breakfast) beckons at 10.30am, and we have grilled halloumi with avocado and kale. There's even fruit for brunch dessert. We need all the energy we can get for our first off train experience this afternoon, the Simpsons Gap discovery walk. The three of us love nothing more than a good walk, so we put on our runners and set off on the buses which take us to a few spots near Alice Springs. 

We arrive at Simpsons Gap in the afternoon, one of the most idyllic spots in Australia. Known as Rungutjirpa to the traditional owners, Simpsons Gap is an incredibly important spiritual site and you can tell why. Nestled in the West MacDonnell Ranges, the walls glow orange and red, reflected in the still water that sits below. 

Simpsons Gap. Image: Supplied.  

Known for the very rare black footed rock wallabies, our tour guide tells us to be on the lookout. We are determined to spot one, so begin whispering "sweetie, come on out and say hello". 

Just as we're beginning to give up hope, we see something in the distance, licking its little hands. It's our friend, Rock Wallaby. We point him out to our travel companions and everyone gets very excited. By the time we leave Simpsons Gap, we've spotted three black footed rock wallabies who might be some of the cutest animals we've ever seen. 

The rest of the afternoon is spent reading, sipping on a lovely glass of pinot gris, followed by a delicious three course dinner. By this point, we've learned to order three different meals so we can sample the whole menu, which includes grilled saltwater barramundi, braised beef and chickpea dahl. The table beside us try the crocodile dumplings which we're not quite game for, but they are very impressive. 

Meant to take a photo of dinner. Whoops. Image: Supplied. 

We head back to our rooms for our second and final night sleeping onboard The Ghan and we can't believe how quickly it's gone. We sleep with our blinds open so that in the morning we can wake up to the breathtaking landscape of the Northern Territory. 

It's day three, which means it's time for our next excursion, one we've all been looking forward to. The train stops in Katherine, and we are transported to the Nitmiluk Gorge Cruise (did we mention it's included??? In the price? Of the train??? Still wrapping our head's around "all-inclusive" when "inclusions" look like... this).

Katherine Gorge. Image: Supplied. 

The Katherine River is surrounded by massive rock formations, the sandstone a different colour to what we saw at Simpsons Gap. The water is a deep green, and home to freshwater and saltwater crocodiles. We are desperate to spot a croc, but instead are fooled by a few "rockodiles". As we make our way through the gorge, we arrive at a swimming spot, where tourists cool down in the river. Finally, we visit the home of the rainbow serpent, and hear a Jawoyn man explain why this site is so important to his community. 

The girls at Katherine Gorge. Image: Supplied.  

Just as it begins to rain we make it back onto the train for our FINAL MEAL OF THE TRIP, a three course lunch with options like a fragrant buffalo curry, a grilled tropical chicken salad and a roasted heirloom carrot tart. We return to our rooms to sulk about how quickly this journey has come to an end, and out our windows spot buffalo and foxes. The landscape transitions from the deep reds of the centre, to lush green grass and palm trees, signalling we've just about made it to Darwin. Rain outside our windows makes for a cosy afternoon of reading and writing, and we consider asking if we can just... stay on the train... and ride it all the way back.

When we get off at Darwin we wave goodbye to The Ghan, and we're still blown away by the size of it. 

We spend the evening discussing everyone in our lives who needs to jump onboard The Ghan immediately, (Pop; a family friend who is obsessed with trains; girlfriends of ours who would spend the whole time in the Outback Explorer Lounge, staging their own wine tasting etc.). In fact, it's the kind of experience we can see ourselves doing again. 

The three of us are always looking for the ultimate girl's trip, with the perfect mix of luxury and adventure. And last weekend, we found it on The Ghan. 

A long weekend doesn't get any better than that. 

Discover The Ghan for an unforgettable rail holiday, voyaging between the soft hues of pastoral South Australia, to the rich red earth of the Outback, and into the tropical Top End.

Feature Image: Supplied.